A hotel designed by the practice of Ryuichi Ashizawa Architect & Associates

The Setre Marina Hotel is a landmark designed by the practice of Ryuichi Ashizawa Architect & Associates and it is located in Moriyama City, in the Shiga Prefecture, Japan close to Lake Biwa.

The site is comprised of endorheic basins left when the water link to the city was transformed, so the designers started with the idea of an ecotone to act as a transition between the two biodomes near the building that were created by rainwater.

 The project integrates perfectly into the setting with slabs supported by oblique pillars to hide the structural beams and green platforms with the shrubs occupying them. The stepped design reduces solar radiation and the north-south arrangement changing according to the angle of the walls furthers this experience.

 The main materials are locally sourced and combined with reinforced concrete, bringing the traditional building methods of Japan into a contemporary setting. The partitions were built through the plastering process and the outer wall was made through a mix of mortar an soil to mimic the Tsukeru method.